


A Vashoth and her Mabari

by Mistress_of_Squirrels



Series: Ataashi [1]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Humor, Mild Language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-12
Updated: 2015-03-12
Packaged: 2018-03-17 13:58:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3531878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mistress_of_Squirrels/pseuds/Mistress_of_Squirrels
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Adaar is given a mabari puppy by the queen of Ferelden for the Inquisition's help in Denerim. Puppy shenanigans ensue.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Vashoth and her Mabari

**Author's Note:**

> Just a few scenes based on a prompt by Sui Causa over at the Iron Bull Discussion thread. It's meant to be cute and silly.

The pup was a tawny ball of fluff, no bigger than the average house cat, whose stubby tail seemed to be in a perpetual state of motion. Adaar watched as it sniffed at the hand Cole held out to it before offering the spirit a tentative lick with its small pink tongue. Cole let out a rare laugh of delight and said something the inquisitor was too far away to catch but had the puppy yipping in agreement. She tried to picture the sleek war hound Josephine had promised the pup would grow into and failed. The qunari woman’s full mouth curved into a small smile. Nothing that claimed to be bred for combat had a right to be so…cute.

“Inquisitor?”

At the sound of the ambassador’s voice, Adaar bit back the undignified “Awww!” that had almost tumbled from her lips while she watched Cole and the puppy play and sent the Antivan a sheepish look. “I’m sorry, Josephine, I got distracted.”

“So I see,” Josephine inclined her head, and one hand came up to cover her mouth, doing nothing to hide her knowing smile. The ambassador cleared her throat and continued. “As I was saying, Queen Anora wishes to thank you for the Inquisition’s aid in uncovering the Venatori plot in Denerim. She chose this pup herself from the royal kennels and believes he will make a good match for you. Of course, the queen assures me that an exchange is possible should the pup fail to imprint, asking only that you allow enough time to see if the process will take.”

“I’m sure he’ll work out fine,” Adaar said, violet eyes once more focused on the puppy. “Please convey my sincere gratitude and inform her Highness he will receive the best of care. I’m honored by her gift.”

“It is an honor, Inquisitor,” Josephine pointed out. “Mabari are renowned for their intelligence. They are capable of understanding and responding to speech - commands or otherwise - and their loyalty is unwavering. To have a mabari of one’s own is considered a symbol of status in Fereldan, usually reserved for those of high station. The queen must think well of you indeed to handpick this pup from her own kennel.”

“I see. In that case, I trust you’ll make it clear I understand the magnitude of her gift?”

“Of course, Inquisitor. Now, if you have no further need of me, I really should get back to work.”

Adaar smiled and laid a hand on the smaller woman’s arm. “Thank you, Josephine.”

“It is my pleasure.”

As the ambassador hurried back to her office, Adaar walked over to where Cole sat cross-legged on the floor, the mabari puppy cradled in his lap and fast asleep. A few of the nobles in the hall where giving him strange looks, but the boy didn’t seem to notice.

“Do you like the puppy, Cole?” the inquisitor asked as she sat down beside him.

“Yes,” Cole answered without looking up. “He doesn’t mind that he can see me.”

“It’s good to see you out for a change,” Adaar remarked, as she stroked the puppy between his short, pointed ears. The little mabari huffed but did not awaken.

“I heard him when the men brought him,” Cole explained. “He was sad, scared, but he’s alright now.”

The qunari tilted her head as she studied the boy/spirit. “You can hear him?”

“Yes. It’s different than with people, feelings more than words, but I heard him. He misses his family. _Wriggling bodies huddled together during cold nights, warm milk and the comfort brought by the steady slow beat of her heart, the familiar scents of home - all gone_.”

“And you helped him?” Adaar asked, feeling a wave of sympathy for the tiny canine. “He’s better now?”

“I think so. He still misses them, but it’s not so scary now.”

“Thank you for helping him, Cole. I didn’t even consider what it must be like for him to be so far from home.”

“I like to help.”

Before she could reply, the pup blinked open large black eyes and yawned, stretching his mouth so wide Adaar could see the dark spots scattered on the back of his tongue. He stared at her, small wet nose quivering as he scented the air.

“Hey there, little guy,” the qunari said in a soft voice as she held out a hand.

The pup’s ears perked, and he cocked his head as he regarded the woman. After a few moments had passed, the puppy climbed from Cole’s lap and paused, stretching one hind leg and then the other before waddling over to her. His intent gaze never left her face as he sniffed at her offered hand for what seemed an unusual length of time. Satisfied at last with whatever he found, the puppy bumped his square head against her fingers and his short tail began a hopeful wag. She would never admit it, not even under pain of death, but already Adaar harbored serious doubts about who would be the one leading this relationship. She had a feeling that it was not going to be her.

****

Later that day, Adaar bustled around her quarters trying to find a suitable place for the little mabari to sleep. The horsemaster, Dennet, had been kind enough to offer the services of his assistant in building a kennel in the stables, but the inquisitor politely declined. She told herself that she was only giving the puppy time to settle in, blaming her earlier conversation with Cole for the decision to move the mabari into her personal quarters. In reality, she hadn’t liked the thought of him being left alone around the much larger horses. During his visit to the stables, the pup had developed a penchant for running in circles and nipping at the animals, breaking into delighted yips at their startled whinnies. Master Dennet had taken this behavior in stride, even joking about the first herding mabari, but Adaar didn’t like the way a few of the horses were eying the puppy. More than one animal was left holding a grudge, and if her suspicions were correct, just waiting to act on it.

So really, she reasoned, it was in the mabari’s best interest that he stay where she could keep an eye on him. And if she found herself emptying one of the large drawers from her dresser and placing it next to her bed, well, it was only because he needed a place to sleep while he was there. Sharing her bedroom. _Temporarily_.

A sharp rap at the door downstairs was the only warning she got before she heard the sound of it swinging open. Even without the familiar thud of Iron Bull’s heavy footsteps climbing the stairs, she would have known it was him. No one else dared enter her rooms anymore without her express invitation, and even then, Cassandra and Cullen still did so with a wary caution.

Ears perked at the sound of a visitor, the puppy waddled to the stairs as fast as his short legs could carry him to investigate. Bull eyed the mabari in amusement as it trotted along side him to where Adaar stood, hands on her hips as she studied the puppy’s makeshift bed.

“I heard you got a dog, Kadan, but I’m not sure the runt counts.”

“He’ll grow,” the inquisitor assured in an absent voice. “It needs something more…” she murmured to herself. “Something soft he can lay on.” The qunari woman looked around, violet eyes brightening as she found what she wanted. “Toss me one of those cushions, would you?” she asked Bull, gesturing to the pillows on the sofa.

He did so, cocking a brow as he watched the woman lay the pillow into an empty drawer that now sat at the foot her bed.

“There, that should do it,” she said in satisfaction. “Now we just have to see if he likes it.”

The look Bull sent her suggested her lover suspected she had suffered some sort of head injury. “You gonna tuck him in and sing him songs while you’re at it?”

“Oh, hush,” she told him, swatting his arm. “It’s only until he adjusts.”

“Right.” Bull sat down on the sofa, watching as Adaar scooped the puppy into her arms and deposited him on his new bed. “So what are you calling the runt?” he asked her, chuckling as the pup scampered out of the drawer almost as soon as she put him down.

“I don’t know yet. I thought I’d wait and see what fit him.”

“Runt fits.”

“I’m not calling him Runt,” she said firmly, getting up to retrieve the puppy and place him back in the box. “He’s a warhound.”

“Yeah, I can see that,” Bull remarked in a dry voice. “I bet one look at him and old Corypheus’ll shit himself in fear.”

“Be nice,” Adaar snapped, but the twitch of her lips belied her tone.

As soon as she turned her back to shoot her lover a mock glare, the puppy climbed out of the drawer again, wandering off to sniff around her desk.

“That was being nice. The truth is, you’ll be lucky if a nug doesn’t carry him off in the middle of the night.”

The qunari woman laughed. “I don’t know, I think he could take a nug.”

Bull seemed to consider this possibility. “Maybe,” he said at last. “If someone softened it up for him first.”

Adaar bit her lip to keep from grinning. “Stop it. You know, according to Josephine, mabari are considered a symbol of status in Ferelden.”

“Is that right?”

“It is.”

Bull pointed behind her. “Well, Kadan, your symbol of status just pissed on the rug.”

“What?! _Shit_!”

“Not yet, but that’s probably next.”

  
****

A few short weeks made a noticeable difference in the mabari pup’s size. He was growing, as promised, but unless there was going to be a revolt amongst the furniture in Thedas’ near future, Adaar had to admit he’d made very little progress as an animal supposedly bred for war. It wasn’t that she’d been slacking in training him. Oh, she tried. Every day, she brought him to the courtyard and began the obedience exercises Cullen had shown her. To no avail. She’d order him to sit, and he’d flop on his back, rolling in the dirt. Of course that necessitated the nightmare she’d come to associate with bathing the reluctant puppy, an ordeal that more often than not left her in need of a bath. And the list of undesirable puppy antics didn’t end there.

He chewed. Clothes, furniture, her boots, books; anything he could reach was in danger, and even those items out of reach weren’t always safe. Only one thing was sacred to the little beast, and that was the one thing he was allowed - no, encouraged - to chew. Krem had given the inquisitor one of his stuffed nugs as an acceptable chewing alternative, but the mabari seemed to have befriended the toy instead. The puppy carried the little nug everywhere and snuggled with it when he slept. It was filthy from being dragged around, but not so much as a single stitch had been damaged on the toy.

He was also quite the accomplished thief, a trait that might have made her proud had it not been for the fact that he only stole from her. Iron Bull thought it was hilarious, remarking that the runt took after his mistress, and Adaar had to admit, it _might_ have been cute the first couple of times. The items he took where easy enough to recover - all she had to do was check the courtyard for fresh holes - and she had chosen to interpret the habit as some strange sign of his affection for her. That behavior stopped being endearing the day she had to dig up her hairbrush.

Adaar was starting to wonder if her puppy had some sort of intellectual deficiency. For all this talk of mabari intelligence, hers seemed to exhibit a marked lack of the famed attribute. It didn’t diminish her fondness for the pup in any way, but she had to admit it was a bit of a relief to think she had some of the little mabari’s odd behavior figured out. She was wrong. The little shit had been playing her all along.

She made this discovery after finding him in the tavern one day. That he was there was not a surprise. The pup had developed a sort of fascination with the Iron Bull and often watched from the sidelines when the qunari was out training with his Chargers, something very close to awe shining in his black eyes. Bull never seemed to mind, and for all his talk, Adaar suspected he had grown just as attached to the little mabari as she had. The scene before her pretty much confirmed her theory.

Bull and Krem were seated on either side of a large crate that had been temporarily commissioned as a table, a deck of cards, spread out over the top. The puppy was sitting next to Bull, head cocked with interest as the big qunari laid two cards, the five of serpents and the two of songs, side by side.

“Let’s see if you’ve been paying attention,” Bull said, waving a large hand at the cards. “Which suit is greater?”

Adaar’s mouth dropped open in disbelief as the little mabari looked from one card to the other, and nudged the two of songs forward with his nose. “I don’t believe this,” she sputtered.

“Close your mouth, Kadan,” Bull advised. “You’ll catch flies walking around like that.”

The inquisitor snapped her mouth closed, giving the other qunari a dirty look. “You’re teaching him cards? I can’t even get him to sit on command,” she grumped, pulling over a chair. “I was starting to think he just couldn’t be taught.”

The pup gave an offended whine and glared.

“None of that,” Bull chided, “There’s no crying in cards.” Adaar could only shake her head as the puppy gave a short bark and straightened with all the dignity his small body could muster. Bull nodded in approval. “That’s better.”

“Chief never seems to have any trouble with him,” Krem chimed in.

“You mean you’ve done this before?” Violet eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“Er… yes?” the Tevinter offered cautiously. “He comes by sometimes. The little guy seems to have developed a slight case of hero worship,” he said tipping his head toward Bull.

“Of course he has,” both qunari answered at the same time, though in very different tones.

Adaar rolled her eyes at Bull’s smug grin. “My dog comes by to visit you, and you teach him to play cards. Do I have that right?”

“Pretty much. Sometimes he just likes to hear stories about old jobs.”

The qunari woman sighed. “I suppose this is where you disappear to when we’re supposed to be doing your training exercises?” The puppy’s head drooped in what might have been shame. “Ah. So it is. Well, then. Let’s see if you’re any good.” She gave the puppy a fond look and gathered up the cards.

“Careful,” Bull warned the little mabari. “I don’t think you’re ready for her yet. She cheats.”

The pup let out an affronted huff, the look he sent his mistress one of profound disappointment.

“Oh, don’t look at me like that,” Adaar sniffed. It’s Wicked Grace. _Everyone_ cheats.”

“I don’t.”

“Sure you don’t,” the inquisitor agreed amiably. “And I suppose you aren’t reading people when you play, either.”

“That’s a _skill_.”

“So is cheating,” Adaar pointed out. Now it was her turn to be smug.

“Now you’re just confusing him.”

“Considering my luck with training him so far, that seems to be about normal.”

“He’s actually a pretty fast learner,” Bull said. “You just have to be firm with him. He doesn’t need to be coddled all the time.”

“I am firm!” Adaar protested, and at the lascivious gleam in her lover’s eye, was quick to add, “You know what I mean!”

The big qunari laughed. “Yeah, I don’t think so. You’re always cooing over him. He needs to know you’re not gonna take any crap from him.”

“I do _not_ coo."

“Whatever you say, Kadan.”

A slow smile spread over Adaar’s face as she regarded the other qunari. “You know, I think I have the perfect solution. You have it all figured out, so you can take over his training.”

“Wait, what?”

The puppy gave a short bark of excitement, pink tongue lolling. Adaar laughed and scratched under his chin. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you? See? He agrees. And he’d compliment your fighting style more than mine anyway.”

“I don’t know, Kadan.”

“Consider it a personal favor,” Adaar gave Bull a suggestive wink as she slid from her chair and headed for the door. “I owe you one.”

“More than one!” Bull called.

The inquisitor waved over her shoulder, still laughing as she left the tavern. Bull shook his head, one corner of his mouth quirked in wry amusement as he regarded the puppy. The little mabari’s entire rump wiggled, so enthused was the wagging of his tail.

“Huh. Guess it’s you and me, runt.”

Krem’s lips twitched. “Uh, Chief? What just happened?”

The Iron Bull glanced at his lieutenant and shrugged. “Like I said, she cheats.”

****

Much of the mabari pup’s objectionable behavior stopped once Bull took over his training. Adaar, still miffed that she’d been conned by a dog, and a puppy at that, liked to think that most of it would have stopped anyway now that she was wise to his tricks. Even so, she would give credit where credit was due. Bull had a way with the mabari that she lacked, and despite her lover’s teasing, it was not because she spoiled him, thank you very much. Well, maybe that was a very, very, small part of it. There was leading someone in a fight, which she had plenty of experience in, and then there was preparing someone for that fight. Simply put, Bull was the better choice. He didn’t tolerate slacking off, not out of his men, and not out of his canine charge. He expected their best and accepted nothing less, pushing, if necessary, until he got it. It wasn’t necessary where the puppy was concerned. He was eager to comply with whatever Bull asked, and Adaar found herself wishing she’d come up with the idea sooner. Her favorite pair of boots might still be around if she had.

With the mabari’s training taken care of, the inquisitor was free to turn her attention to another pressing puppy matter. Over a month and a half had gone by since the puppy arrived at Skyhold, and she still had not chosen a name for him. It had not been her plan to leave the little guy nameless, but the task had proved to be more of an undertaking than she’d first imagined. The little dog had so much personality he deserved more than the first ridiculous thing that came to mind.

Bull still referred to the puppy as ‘Runt’, but in true Iron Bull fashion, the nickname was more a term of endearment than an official title, and Adaar had no intention of letting it become official, either way. Not long after his arrival, Sera had dubbed him the Inquisidog, a name Bull approved, if only for the inclusion of an article. And Vivienne refused to call him anything other than ‘that wretched little beast’ after he had left chew marks on her most expensive hennin. While the memory still brought a smile to the inquisitor’s face - she’d been certain the enchanter was going to start summoning demons in her rage - it did little to aid her current dilemma. The mabari needed a name, and sooner rather than later.

Turning to Skyhold’s vast library for inspiration, Adaar compiled a short list of the names of notable mabari in Ferelden history, reading each one to the pup one night before bed.

“Hessarian?” she asked, one pale eyebrow lifted in inquiry as she peered over the top of the paper at the puppy sprawled out across her bed. How such a small creature could take up so much room baffled her. A loud snort was the pup’s only response, and the inquisitor smiled, scratching beneath one of his ears. “Not the religious type, eh? I knew there was a reason I liked you. Don’t worry, we won’t tell Cassandra. What about Rummington le Fur?” she asked, consulting the list for the next name.

The little mabari stared at her a moment and then in a slow, deliberate motion, turned his back to her.

“Oh, it was mostly a joke,” the qunari laughed. “When did you get so prissy? Hey, there’s an idea. Prissy.”

A not quite rumbling growl issued from the puppy, though he still refused to look at her.

“Alright, no more teasing. I promise,” she added, doing her best to keep a straight face when the little dog huffed his displeasure. “Serious suggestions only from now on.”

When every last name on her list had been both rejected and discarded, Adaar sighed, crumpling the paper into a ball and tossing it onto her desk. “Well, I suppose that’s that. I’m out of ideas for tonight. We’ll try again tomorrow, yeah? Bull’s going to be here soon.”

The mabari brightened, the change in his demeanor immediate as he sat back on his haunches, eyes fixed on the stairwell as though expecting the Iron Bull to appear any minute.

“Yes, I’m sure he’ll want to see you, too. But maybe after that, you can find Cole for a bit, hmm?” Adaar tried and failed to keep the hopeful note from her voice. She loved the little pup dearly, but there was a definite drawback to the mabari sharing her quarters that she had not anticipated when making the decision to move him in: dealing with a sudden audience when she or Bull felt like engaging in any nocturnal activities.

Once, only a night or two after the pup had been given to her, she and her lover had went to bed as usual. The little mabari had already been asleep, making it all too easy to forget he was there. Just as things were getting heated, Adaar had caught sight of a pair of gleaming eyes peering over the bottom of the bed about the same time a cold, wet nose nuzzled against the bare sole of her foot. Bull still made fun of the way she had screeched and nearly tumbled from the bed, but had agreed to abstain while the ‘creepy little voyeur’ was around. Sending the pup to play with Cole for a bit was a compromise that seemed satisfactory to all parties involved, though Adaar suspected the mabari had more than an idea of why he was so often asked to leave.

As if to confirm her suspicion, the puppy gave a long-suffering sigh that suggested he really didn’t care what sort of shenanigans his qunari got up to, but went to the door anyway, collecting his nug toy as he left.

The next day found Adaar in high spirits, despite having spent the better part of the afternoon meeting with several members of the Orlesian nobility. She smiled and waved to a few of the soldiers as she crossed the courtyard and made her way to The Herald’s Rest. Boisterous cheering and the clanking of tankards met her ears as she pushed open the door, and the qunari woman’s lips curved in a smile as she discovered herself in the midst of a celebration of sorts. Bull and his Chargers had taken over the tavern’s central table and were seated as they had been the first time she’d been introduced to the company. This time though, the mabari pup was with them - in his own chair, she noted in amusement.

“Inquisitor!” Bull called, waving her over. “Join us. We’re celebrating!”

“What exactly are we celebrating?” Adaar asked, accepting the mug he held out to her. “Not that I think you need any particular reason to drink.”

“Your mabari bagged himself a rat in the kitchen today,” Krem filled in. “It’s all the cook has been talking about and Chief decided a celebration was in order, on account of Ataashi being blooded and all.”

A frown of confusion marred Adaar’s brow until she worked out who the Tevinter was referring to. She caught her lover’s eye and grinned with a shake of her head.

“You named him Dragon?” she teased. “What happened to Runt?”

“He’ll grow,” Bull shrugged. “Besides, I think he’s earned it. What do you think? The little guy seems to really like it, but it’s not too late to change it, if you want.”

The inquisitor looked over at the puppy and laughed at the way his little barrel chest seemed to puff in pride when he saw his mistress watching him. “I think this obsession you have with all things dragon is getting out of hand.”

“Probably,” the big qunari agreed. “But you should have seen him, Kadan! The way he came sweeping in out of nowhere and snatched it up in his jaws; that rat didn’t stand a chance!”

“I’m sorry I missed it,” she remarked wistfully. “I was stuck with boring nobles all day.” She pressed a kiss to her lover’s scarred cheek. “I think Ataashi is perfect.”


End file.
